Elevator.



'No. 696,706. Patanted Apr. 1, I902. C. W. BALDWIN, Decd.

M. E. BALDV 'IIN, Administratrix. ELEVATOR.

(Application filed Dec. 27, 1894.)

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet l.

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G. W. BALDWIN, Decd. M. E. BALDWIN, Administratrix.

ELEVATOR.

(Application filed Dec. 27, 1894.]

(No Model.) 4 Sheets.Shee1t 2.

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No. 696,706. Patented Apr. 1902.

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M. E. BALDWIN, Administratrix.

ELEVATOR.

(4pp1ication filed Dec. 27, 1894.) (N0 fl 4 Sheets-$hegi 3.

1 Patented Apr. I, I902. C. W. BALDWIN, Decd. M. E. BALDWIN, Administratrix. ELEVATOR.

Application filed Dec. 27, 1894.;

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(No Model.)

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NITED STATES .airnwr trick.

CYRUS W. BALDl/VIN, OF YOlVKERS, NEW YORK; MARY E. BALD WIN, ADMIN- ISTRATRIX OF SAID CYRUS WV. BALDXVIN, DECEASED, ASSIGNOR TO THE OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY, OF EAST ORANGE, NE\V JERSEY, A CORPO- RATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 696,706, dated April 1, 1902,

Application filed December 27,1894.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, OYRUs W. BALDWIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Yonkers, in the county of Westchester and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Elevators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of elevators in which water is used asa weight to influence the movement of the cage in one direction or the other,heretofore termed waterbalance elevators; and my invention consists in providing the cage with a tank and means, fully set forth hereinafter, whereby to regulate the supply of water to and its discharge from the tank in connection with an overbalance-weight, and also in certain appliances for facilitating the operation of the apparatus, as fully set forth hereinafter and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

in which- Figure 1 is an elevation, in part section, of sufficient of an elevator apparatus to illustrate my improvement. Fig. 2isa plan view of the upper tank and its appliances. Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional view showing the lower part of the cage and tank. Fig. 4is an elevation showing a diiferent arrangement of tanks and valve appliances, and Fig. 5 is a plan view of Fig. at. l

A car or cage A is connected by suitable flexible suspensories a, passing over a guidepulley F, with a counterweight P, which exceeds the weight of the cage by the maximum load of the latter, and which, as shown, is hollow in order to permit it to be properly balanced by the addition of water, sand, shot, 850., or to receive a chain, as shown in Fig. The well is provided with the usual guides Z),

and the cage carries clamps c, which engage the guides when the cage-is at rest and hold it in a stationary position. These clamps consist of shoes 50 50, hung to a bracket, springs 5l,which draw the clamps to the guide, and a lever 19, which in a central position permits the clamps under the action of said. springs to be applied to the guide, while by swinging the lever in either direction the clamps are opened so that the cage can move Serial No. 533,082. (No model.)

under the action of its weight or the counterweight, as shown in my Letters Patent No. 416,983. The lever 19 is connected directly or indirectly with an operating-lever d in the cage. As shown, a connecting-rod 21 extends from the lever (l to a lever 26 upon a shaft 29, turning in bearings below the platform of the cage, the said shaft having arms connected by two links 20 with the two levers 19, operating the two clamps on opposite sides of the car. The clamps may also be connected to be operated by running safety-cables V V, each of which is controlled by a governor device Y. Thus each cable passes around pulleys .G H at the bottom and top of the well, and

one arm 26 on the clamp-operating shaft 29 is connected to cable V, and the arm 33 is connected to the cable V, so that said cables runin opposite direction. EachpulleyH carries a spring-actuated pawl f, which when the pulley exceeds its normal rate of speed in one direction is thrown out, then making contact with a stop a, which arrests the movement of the pulley and its cable, and as the car moves the cable which hasbeen arrested in movement swings the lever to which it is connected and turns the shaft 29 and causes the brake to be applied.

The cage is provided with a water-tank B, which may either be at the top of the cage, as shown in Fig. 4-, or at the bottom of the cage, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, and near the top of the well is arranged a delivery pipe or 1102- zle e, which may communicate with a reservoir M or which may communicate withasupply-pipe receiving water from any suitable source, the flow being controlled by a valve As shown, there is a reservoir, supply, or tank M, and the valve is connected with a lever S, one end of which extends outward in position to be struck by a projection t upon 0 the side of the cage when the latter rises two or three inches above the normal upper level, in which case a spout U at the side of the cage and communicating with the tank B is below the nozzle 6. Owing to the weight P overbalancing the cage A, the latter, with its load, will rise under the action of the said weight whenever the clamp is actuated to re lease the cage from the guides, and this upward movement may be arrested at the different floors by operating the lever 01 to apply the clamp, which also according to the varying degree of pressure with which it is applied may act further as a brake. WVhen the cage reaches the upper floor and. it is desired to descend, the operator, if the weight of the occupants is notsufficient to overcome the counterweight releasing the clamp, permits the cage to rise sufficiently to bring the projection 15 against and lift the lever S and its valve Q, when water will flow through the nozzle 8 and spout U into the tank of the cage until the weight P is overbalanced, when the cage will descend. During the time the clamps are held. open the extent of upper movement is so slight that it may take place while the passengers are entering the car. The descent of the cage may be regulated by regulating the pressure applied by the clamps and may be arrested by applying the clamps to the guides. It will be seen thatinas much as the spout U is directly below the nozzle 6 the said spout will receive any drippings from the said nozzle, so that'the water will not be scattered through the well and make the same damp. Of course if the load of passengers is heavy no water is admitted to the tank to cause the descent of the cage. WVhen the cage reaches the bottom and it becomes necessary to ascend, the water which is in the tank B must be discharged to a greater or less degree, and I therefore provide said tank with a suitable discharge-valve controlling the fiow of water through a spout 25, which occupies a position above a lower tank L. Under many circumstances it will be necessary to combine with the tanks L and M a pump R, which carries the water from the lower to the upper tank.

, The valve for the discharge-tank B on the cage may be of any suitable construction, but preferably is in the form of a pivoted tube 8, communicating at the lower end with the spout 25 and swinging so that the upper end may be brought to a greater or less extent below the level of the water in the cage to discharge a greater or less portion of the water. The valve may be operated directly by the operator in the cage through suitable appliances; but I prefer to operate it automatically. Thus, as shown in Fig. 4, where the tank is at the top of the cage it may communicate through vertical pipes K K with a pan at the bottom, from which leads a tube 5, having a seat at the lower end for a guided valve 2, and the tank L in this case is in the well, with a standard 8, adapted to make contact with the valve 2 when the cage descends below the lower floor, thereby lifting the said valve to discharge the contents of the tank to a greater or less extent. Preferably in this construction the standard 8 is within a tube 7, having two'curved outlets 6 6, which discharge the waterlaterally, and the tube 5 is of a size to enter the tube 7, thus reducing noise from the discharge of the water. Wherever the discharge of the water depends upon an attendant, the amount discharged is liable not to be accurately determined, and I therefore prefer to automatically regulate the discharge in proportion to the load that is in the cage at the time the ascent is to be madethat is, when the cage is at the bottom. Thus if one person only enters the cage an amount a little in excess of the weight of such person, sufficient to reduce the total weight of the cage and contents to less than that of the counterbalance-weight P, will be discharged. If two persons enter, a larger amount is discharged, and still more if three persons enter.

Different means for automatically discharging the water as described may be employed.

I prefer, however, to provide the cage with a platform 16, similar to the platform of an ordinary scale, and to connect this platform with the valve devices, so as to regulate the discharge in proportion to the extent to which the platform sinks. Thus the platform has the usual knife-edge bearings 32, resting upon a series of levers 31, and each pair of levers rests upon a bearing 4, that in turn bears upon the edge of an arm 35, extending from a rock-shaft 14. The ends of the arms 35 are connected by rods 36 with the hinged tubular valve 8, and each arm 35 bears upon a cap 9, supported by a spring 10, which is in a standard 12 and rests upon a movable bearing which may be raised or lowered by means of a screw 13, extending to the outside of the cage, and by adjusting the screws 13, the extent to which the platform will sink under different-- weights is regulated, and it will be seen that in proportion as the platform sinks the end of the tubular valve 8 will be carried below the normal level of the water in the tank B and cause more or less of the same to be discharged. The said platform 16 is to be locked at all times, except when the cage is at the lower floor, so as to prevent the discharge of water through the pivoted valve in the tank on the cage when the cage is descending, say, for instance, with a weight sufficient to carry the upper end of the said pivoted valve to a further extent beneath the surface of the water in the tank. While different means could be employed for thus locking the platform, I prefer such, for instance, as I have shown in Figs. 1 and 3, wherein 7" represents a rockshaft mounted in any suitable way beneath the platform 16 and upon which is mounted a hand-lever 5, having at its lower end a dog 25, designed to engage the end of the lever 35, so as to prevent the platform from operating upon the pivoted valve whenever a weight is added to the platform. The said hand-lever 8 extends into the cage to be conveniently grasped by the operator, and there may be provided any suitable device, such as u, for retaining the lever in its locked position.

Thus it will be seen that by pushing the le-.- ver forward and rockingthe shaft r in one direction the dog 2! Will be brought into engagement to lock the parts against effective movement and that the reverse of this operation will release the dog. If one or two per sons enter the cage when it is at thelimit of its lower motion, an amount of water sufficient to more than exceed the weight of such persons will be discharged from the tank B into the tank L until the weight P overbalances the cage, when the operator by opening the clamps permits the cageto ascend, its speed being regulated by regulating the pressure on the clamps against the guides and the cage being arrested by applying the clamps to clamp the guides when required. It will be seen that it but one, two, or three persons enter the cage only a portion of the waterwill be discharged, and therefore a cer tain amount of water will be carried to the top of the well and will be available for use in descending, in such .case only sufficient additional waterbeing required to overcome the counterweight.

It is preferable to insure automatically the removal of the brakes or clamps when the cage reaches the normal limits of its movements, so that it may automatically start in. the reverse direction as soon as sufficient water has been received or discharged. To this. end stops 37 38 are arranged in the well to make contact with the arm 26and tilt the latter, and thereby cause the clamp to be ing brought against the valve-operating device at the top of the well toosuddenly, and. I therefore in some instances provide one or tworeceptacles N at the bottom or bottom and top of the well adapted to receive the weight P asit reaches the limit of its movement and of such a size that the air will not escape freely as the weight enters the receptacle and will act as a buffer to gradually reduce the speed of the movement of the Weight and of the cage.

In order to overcome the effect of the cables or flexible connections being Wholly at one side of the pulley Fwhen the cage is down, I suspend in a position above the weight P a chain 0, so that as the weight rises the chain will be gradually taken up within the receptacle in the weight, and thereby increase the weight upon the opposite side of the pulley as the cage descends. This will prevent the tendency of the increased weight upon the cage side of the pulley to impart too great speedand momentum to the cage, and injure the valve-actuating devices thereof that regulate the, flow of the water from the tank.

Where a tank, asM, is above the cage, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, it maybe in two sections, the valves Q closing openings at the bottoms of tubes or nozzles e and beingin a position to be struck byprojections or standards Z within the tank 13 at the top of-ihe cage. Preferably the valves Q Q are in tubular form, with spiders at the lower ends,

the water flowing upward into the valve when it is lifted,thus avoiding WttGlFIJIGSSlIIG on the valve and reducing. the weight and the noise that would'otherwise result from the flow of water.

Without limiting myself to the precise construction and arrangement of parts shown, I claim as my invention 1. The combinationwith an elevator-cage,

of a receptacle open at the top and arranged near the end of the well, and a valveless counterbalance-weight entering the receptacle and loosely fitting the same, substantially. as described.

2.-The combinationof anelevator-cage, a water-tank. upon the cage, a valve, and automatic means whereby the valve. is operated to discharge water from the tank lnplOPOljtion to the weight of the passengers in the cage, substantially as set forth.

3. The'combination of a cage, a tank carried thereby, a valve controlling the discharge of water from the said tank, and automatic apparatus carriedby the cage and connected with the valve to shift the latter according to' .theweight in the cage, substantially as set forth. r

4:. The combinationof an elevator-cage, a movable platformin thecage, a tank carried by the cage, and a discharge-valve connected operatively to the movableplatform, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of an elevator-cage, a tank, a tubular, discharge-valve,a movable platform, and connecting devices whereby the valve is lowered in proportion to the eX- tent to which the platform descends, substantially as set forth.

6. .The combination of an elevator-cage, a tank, a discharge-valve, a platform connected to operate the latter, and an indicator connected with the platform, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination of an elevator-cage, a tank, aplatform, a discharge-valve connected therewith, supports for supporting the plat- CYRUS WV. BALD-"WDL Witnesses:

WM. RILEY, Orro T. SMITH. 

